Christmas in July: Women's Center to host early Christmas fund-raiser

Published 7:00 pm, Wednesday, July 13, 2005

"Christmas is a very busy time for everyone, but it represents one of our biggest fund-raising opportunities for the Women's Center," said Nancy Harrington, executive director for the Montgomery County Women's Center. "So we are doing something new this year to meet our objectives in serving the needs of the county as well accommodate our loyal supporters.

By DONNA WICK

Though blistering temperatures continue to savagely beat down on the area, the Montgomery County Women's Center is hoping that the benevolent spirit of Christmas will bloom in the hearts of residents for the center's "Christmas in July" fund-raising party.

"Christmas is a very busy time for everyone, but it represents one of our biggest fund-raising opportunities for the Women's Center," said Nancy Harrington, executive director for the Montgomery County Women's Center. "So we are doing something new this year to meet our objectives in serving the needs of the county as well accommodate our loyal supporters."

The Women's Center decided on the "Christmas in July" party because so much is going on during the month of December that many of their ardent supporters are pressed for time and funds.

"Our fund-raising needs are year-round basically," said May Jo O'Neal, development director for the Women's Center. "We are hoping that hosting this party during a saner time of year will be more effective than trying to generate support during one of the busiest times of the year for most people."

The center offers a host of programs and services including: The Shelter for Battered Women, Couseling and Legal Services; Crisis Hot Line; Education Programs; and Scholarships.

"We are creating a new tradition with the "Christmas in July" campaign so that we can do all the things we need to do, without having to do them during the holiday time," Harrington said. "We are also pulling in support from the community. Both Tommy Bahamas and the Cut 'n' Shoot Hogs have been great supporters. And lastly, we now have the (Rags to Riches) resale shop that not only accommodates women in need, but is also a revenue generator by selling home and furniture items to the public."

The Cut 'n' Shoot H.O.G. Chapter is more than just a little committed when it comes to supporting the Women's Center.

"We are very passionate in our support of the Women's Center, mainly because of the children that get caught in the crossfire," said David Moore, president of Texan Harley-Davidson in Conroe. "We have probably given more than $80,000 dollars to the Women's Center over the past five years."

Every day four women die in this country as a result of domestic violence, according to statistics provided by the U.S. Department of Justice, and violent juvenile offenders are four times more likely to have grown up in homes where they saw such violence.

"People don't want to read about it, talk about it or know about it, but the problems are real and go on every day and probably in your own neighborhood," Moore said. "We are supporters because we care about the children involved in these situations."

In addition to the programs and services the center offers to the community, it has just been notified that it will receive funds to build Transitional Housing for women.

"We are very excited about providing transitional housing to women. This has been part of our strategic plan," Harrington said. "We are looking for property now."

The Transitional Housing complex will be an apartment building that offers a maximum two-year lease for women as they prepare their families for independence and develop the skills to become self-supporting members of the community.

"We will have on-site case management, after-school programs, child-care programs and transportation," Harrington said. "Residents will only need to pay one-third of their adjusted gross income."

Even the best programs and services will never reach those in greatest need without the help and the support of the community, Harrington said. The Women's Center is making its annual solicitation, asking for donations and community support.

"We welcome shoppers and donors to the new donation/shopping site," O'Neal said. "We will have pick-up service for larger household items and furniture. We will also debut our Christmas greeting cards with artwork by children from the women's shelter."

Early Christmas donations for women and children will be accepted this month and there will be plenty door prizes donated by Tommy Bahamas and other local merchants, O'Neil said.

The center's "Christmas in July" party will be held July 29 and 30 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days at the 1031 Pruitt location.

The Women's Center provides safe shelter, crisis intervention, counseling, legal and support services to victims/survivors of family violence, sexual assault, stalking and abuse in Montgomery and surrounding counties. It also provides education to the community about such issues. All services are free of charge.

To learn more about "Christmas in July", call Mary Jo O'Neal at (281) 292-4155 ext. 270 or Sheila Peterson at (281) 292-3234.

Rags to Riches Resale Shoppe has two locations. The Home and Furniture Outlet is located at 1031 Pruitt Road and can be reached at (281) 292-3234. The Resale Shoppe is located in the Woodridge Shopping Center behind Luther's BBQ restaurant and can be reached at (281) 292-0443. For information, go to www.ragstorichesshop.com.